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REVIEW: Neko Case @ Berklee Performance Center, 4/11/09

I managed to track down two 10th row tickets (from a fellow fan on craigslist) for the Neko Case show in Boston at Berklee Performance Center at the last minute on Saturday. This was my first time ever seeing her live and it was an incredible experience. The tornado theme from her new album, Middle Cyclone, could not be more appropriate; it’s truly a marvel to witness the sound of Case’s vocals when she tilts her head back and lets it rip. Her vocals were a little low in the mix for the first 2 or 3 songs, so she excused herself for a few seconds and walked off stage then came back and launched into a breathtaking performance of Fox Confessor Brings the Flood highlight “Hold On, Hold On” – from that point on her vocals were soaring. The show opened with “Maybe Sparrow” and was heavy on material from the two previously mentioned albums, as well as a few older songs like “I Wish I Was the Moon” and “Deep Red Bells.” My favorites were “Hold On, Hold On,” “Prison Girls,” “Magpie to the Morning” (an audience request during the encore), “Middle Cyclone,” and “Vengeance is Sleeping” (which was performed with just Neko, back-up signer Kelly Hogan and acoustic guitar), and “This Tornado Loves You,” but aside from the minor sound issues in the first 2 or 3 songs, the whole show was pretty much flawless. Neko said a few times during the show that they’d be back his summer, so I’ll be sure to post when the next date is announced just in case you missed her this time around.